Florida Python Challenge Ends, Winners Yet to Be Announced

The month-long Florida python challenge has ended, but official tally will take time to count.

The Python Challenge is a month-long event in Florida that ended just over the weekend. However, the official tally and winners won’t be disclosed until February 27th.

The hunt to reduce the snake population and the number of invasive species in the Everglades is a direct response to the fact that these invasive species are threatening the natural Everglades ecosystem. “While the number of pythons in South Florida is not known, it is estimated to range in at least the tens of thousands,” the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Already it is believed that more snakes were removed this year than were in 2015, which has led researchers to point to both cooler temperatures in the region and better training for the python hunters as the causes of this higher number.

The teams/individuals that caught the most pythons and the longest ones “will be awarded prizes up to $1,500 at an awards ceremony on February 27th” when those winners are publicly announced.

Though the hunt for the pythons are over, residents are still encouraged to report any snakes they see online or through the mobile app available so that experienced teams can remove the snakes.